Methods and apparatus for multi-vessel renal neuromodulation
AssigneeMedtronic Ardian Luxembourg S.a.r.l.
InventorDenise Zarins
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for multi-vessel neuromodulation, e.g., via a pulsed electric field. Such multi-vessel neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, the multi-vessel neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. Such multi-vessel neuromodulation optionally may be performed bilaterally.
Claims21
A method of assessing efficacy of a renal neuromodulation procedure in a human patient, the method comprising:
- determining a baseline level of one or more biomarkers in plasma or urine collected from the patient;
- attenuating neural traffic along a renal nerve of the patient via energy delivery from an intravascularly-positioned neuromodulation assembly;
- determining a post-neuromodulation level for the biomarker(s) in plasma or urine collected from the human patient;
- and
- comparing the post-neuromodulation level to the baseline level,
- wherein the neuromodulation procedure is classified as at least partially successful if the post-neuromodulation level differs from the baseline level.
A method of assessing efficacy of a renal neuromodulation procedure in a human patient, the method comprising:
- transluminally positioning a catheter within a target renal blood vessel of the patient and adjacent to target neural fibers innervating a kidney of the patient;
- delivering an electric field via one or more electrodes of the catheter to induce renal neuromodulation;
- determining a post-neuromodulation level for one or more biomarker(s) in plasma or urine collected from the patient following the renal neuromodulation procedure, wherein the level of biomarker(s) directly or indirectly correlates with sympathetic nervous activity in the patient;
- and
- comparing the post-neuromodulation level to a pre-determined threshold level for the biomarker(s),
- wherein the renal neuromodulation procedure is classified as at least partially successful if the post-neuromodulation level differs from the pre-determined threshold level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.